The XPS line has for a long time been Dells thin + performance laptops. If that's not what you want... I don't know why you'd be considering that line.
What part of thin and performance demands only 2 USB ports?
I have an M2 Macbook Air. The damn thing can fit a dozen USB ports on both sides, as far as physical space is concerned. I like its speakers and battery life, but I hate the lack of connectivity.
I really don't care about "demands". You could ask someone who knows more about the physical laptop design. That's not me.
It seems strange to take issue with Dell's showboat ultrabook, for being an ultrabook, when for years (maybe longer) it has been an ultrabook with all the trade offs that come with it. Pick a different line of laptops.
Carrying around hubs and dongles defeats the very point of using a thin (read: portable) laptop. Most Windows "ultrabook" laptops have more than the Apple Certified Standard(tm) complement of connectivity. I'm using one right now, a 14" ASUS Vivobook, which has four USB ports (I wish it had more) and an HDMI port.
Adding more USB ports does not compromise the ultrabookness of a laptop. Ever. Ultrabooking is about portability, not about no motherfucking connections without motherfucking dongles.
I have an M2 Macbook Air. The damn thing can fit a dozen USB ports on both sides, as far as physical space is concerned. I like its speakers and battery life, but I hate the lack of connectivity.